School Covid cases hit hundreds every week
PARTS of South Wales are among the three areas in Wales to have recorded the highest incidents of Covid in schools in the latest figures.
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (UHB) – which covers the former Gwent area – Swansea Bay UHB and Betsi Cadwaladr UHB have all reported the highest Covid cases among staff and pupils, Public Health Wales said as it released its latest schools data.
A total of 455 Covid cases linked to schools were reported by Aneurin Bevan UHB in the six days to October 13.
In the same period Betsi Cadwaladr UHB reported 667 and Swansea Bay UHB 342.
Although rates of confirmed Covid rose sharply among five to 11-yearolds and pupils aged 12 to 16, these have begun to fall in the last two weeks, said PHW.
More than nine in 10 schools in Wales have reported Covid cases since this term began with fewer Covid infection measures in place.
With more than 39,000 cases in total, tens of thousands of children have missed lessons.
Staff shortages and a lack of supply cover, also caused by Covid, has l ed to whole year groups being sent home and even entire schools shutting.
The latest school to close to year groups was Haverfordwest VC High in Pembrokeshire.
Staff shortage caused by illness meant the school’s year eight pupils could not attend on Thursday and on Friday year nines were told not to come in because of staff shortages.
School cases now appear to be falling, according to the latest PHW report, but a review of school absence data has been announced by the Education Minister after questions were raised about differing data and the way Covid is listed by schools.
While more than 11,200 cases of Covid among staff and pupils were reported in the three weeks to October 13, cases have fallen week on week, according to PHW figures.
In the same period 137 cases were linked to FE colleges, down from 241 the previous week.
Since the start of September, 39,015 new Covid cases have been reported across 1,490 schools; 9,344 cases in staff and 29,671 in pupils.
From a total of 1,573 schools across Wales, this means 94.7% of schools have had at least one Covid case this term.
Publishing the data, PHW stressed that cases linked to a school or educational institution does not necessarily imply that transmission occurred there.
It said there may be occasions where school aged cases are identified, but they may not have entered the school during their infectious period.
“Linkage between a case and a school does not mean that the cases were in school at the date of the test, nor that transmission occurred in school.”
A time lag in the way data is collected means the figures are also subject to change.